Pristina: Kosovo headed to the polls on Sunday for its first elections since declaring independence in 2008, which look set to weaken Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's grip on power.
The last surveys ahead of the vote showed a neck-and-neck race between Thaci's PDK at 30 per cent of voting intentions, just two points ahead of its main rival the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) led by Pristina mayor Isa Mustafa.
Thaci looked relaxed in a leather jacket and slacks as he cast his vote in a elementary school in central Pristina accompanied by his wife and his young son.
"Kosovo is voting today for a European future, for visa liberalisation and (...) and integration into the European Union and the United Nations," he told the throng of journalists waiting for him.
Many in the 1.6 million strong electorate are disillusioned with the current leadership as Thaci's reputation was marred by a string of corruption scandals involving his party officials.
But voter turnout could be key. A low turnout would favour Thaci's PDK party, whose support base is in rural areas.
"Thaci will win. He should hold be given four more years and you will see he will be the best prime minister Kosovo ever had," Feriz Krasniqi, a 29-year-old street vendor in Pristina originally from Thaci's heartland region of Malisevo, told AFP.
But many young people and the educated urban elite have turned their backs on the guerrilla leader-turned politician.
"I got up early to vote because I'm not happy with the way the country was led. People suffered while politicians benefitted and we have to stop that," 39-year-old construction engineer Shaqir Zeneli said.
More than 10 years after the war between the independence-seeking Albanian majority and forces loyal to then Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, it remains one of the poorest regions in Europe.
It has a jobless rate of 48 per cent according to the World Bank. Almost half of the population live below the poverty line.
Analysts predict that Thaci's hold on power will weaken as other parties profit from voters' disappointment. Even if his party manages to remain the biggest in parliament there will be lengthy coalition negotiations and Thaci could be forced to accept big compromises in order to cling on to power.
Sunday's vote is the first since the ethnic-Albanian majority declared Kosovo independent in February 2008. Its independence has been recognised by 72 countries including the US and all but five European Union members.
Serbia, which still considers the territory as its southern province, has advised the 120,000-strong Serb minority in Kosovo not to vote.
Despite Belgrade's stance many of the 80,000 Serbs living in enclaves in central Kosovo are expected to cast their ballots. The majority Serb north, home to 40,000 Serbs will boycott the elections.
There are 10 out of the 129 parliament seats reserved for the Serb minority but it could go up to 15 if Serb turnout is high.
The snap elections were called after an uneasy ruling coalition imploded late September.
Former coalition partners the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) - led by guerrilla leader turned Prime Minister Thaci - and the LDK blamed each other for the crisis that ended their alliance.
In the last election in 2007 over half of the electorate boycotted the vote.
If more voters, especially the young and people in urban areas like Pristina vote this time, it will favour the LDK and new parties running on an anti-PDK platform, political analyst Krenar Gashi of the Kosovo Institute for Policy Research and Development said.
The Self-Determination party of Albin Kurti, which started out as a populist street protest movement, looks set to become a major force in parliament with 16 percent of voting intentions.
Another newcomer, the Fryma e Re (Fresh Air) party could garner around six per cent.